Sri Lanka to target doubling of aquaculture production

Considering the growing importance of aquaculture to the food security of the Asia-Pacific region, I think, this is a very timely initiative by the Food and Agriculture Organization to support the countries in the region to strategise future aquaculture development programmes with a view to getting maximum benefit to their growing populations.

Over the last few decades, the fisheries sector in our region has shown much progress, not only in aquaculture production, but also in product marketing and trade. It is said that the demand for food fish will very much outstrip the supply in time to come, putting pressure on already depleted marine resources.

Thus, aquaculture will be the main thrust area in future fisheries production. To achieve the production targets which would ensure food security, or rather ‘fish security’ of our nations, we need to rely not only on technological developments, but more importantly, sustainable, environment friendly production practices.

On the other hand, Asia-Pacific aquaculture, mostly based on small scale farmers and farming operations, have to comply with new challenges of a ‘globalised’ environment. In order to meet these challenges and sustain the growth momentum in aquaculture, which has recorded an annual rate of eight to nine per cent over the last few decades, it is important to assess and strategise possible improvements in regional cooperation, including the review and possible development of revised regional policies.

This is important for us to prepare better to face the many challenges, particularly increased vulnerabilities of the sector to climate change impacts and resource limitations.

In this regard, this meeting, which essentially brings together leading players including policy makers and planners in aquaculture in the region, could be considered a very important event in the aquaculture calendar of the region.

It is also very relevant that this important meeting is being held in Sri Lanka at a time when the country is in the process of embarking on a very ambitious aquaculture development plan, targeting doubling of aquaculture production to 95,000 MT by 2013 through sustainable aquaculture development while addressing food safety and quality, and environmental integrity. Hence it’s very important for countries in the region to deliberate on policy and thereby develop a clear action plan in the near future as a region.

Organisations like the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia Pacific (NACA) have a catalyst role to play so that we can develop the Colombo Declaration that needs to be formulated so that a new era in regional cooperation in aquaculture development for food security, nutrition and economic development in Asia will become a reality to the people of the Asian region.

(Dr. Damitha de Zoysa is a graduate from the University of Peradeniya with a B.A. Hons. in Economics – Statistics. She has obtained a M. Sc. in Agricultural Development Economics from the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia. She holds an M.A in Economics and a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from the Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA. Dr. Damitha is the Secretary, Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development and also serves on the Boards of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, Sri Lanka Export Development Board and National Aquatic Resources & Development Agency.)